Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Rinky Ding Sabah Railway

Hantu Laut

What was I thinking?

Something that should not have happened, happened!


The train and oil tanker collision in Kota Kinabalu on Monday that exploded and incinerated both tanker and train which should not have happened if common sense had prevailed.

The stupidity and tidak apa attitude of our civil servants, politicians and people given the contract to rebuild and upgrade the tracks has contributed to the disaster.It's obvious, common sense is not common amongst these people.The only thing common in them is the lack of social responsibility and insatiable greed.

The only reason there was no heavy casualty, except for a few injured was because the train travelled at crawling speed and quick thinking Sabahans fast reactions to save themselves.If the train had been fast the result would have been catastrophic.

A project which is not even worth salvaging because it serves no economic benefits except for putting hundreds of million ringgit in the wrong pockets at the expense of safety of the people.If you are proletariat life is cheap. Who cares?

DCM Pairin Kitingan called for all illegal crossings to be closed and CM Musa Aman ordered full probe.

The probe should be on the people who planned and executed the project, not the truck or train driver.

The question I would like to ask those involved with the project why did they not close those crossings knowing the area is heavily populated before they restart the train service? Why no fencing was put up and alternative road bypass built to stop residents from using the illegal crossing.

Crossings can be minimised by building parallel road on the other side of the track to serve the residents living in the area.Automatic gate crossing is not rocket science and they are cheap to build.

Everytime, I pass the Petagas/Putatan area I visualised a disaster waiting to happen as one can see how much human activities going on along the tracks with humans and vehicles crossing the tracks at regular intervals.

Yes, let the MACC probe how a project of such nature can be allowed to proceed without provision for safety to protect the people.

Like everything else, Sabahans always get crappy facilities from the Federal government.

8 comments:

Y1 said...

The heavy traffic at the flyover outside the airport is just as dangerous. There is no signal, gates, whatsoever at this intersection!

Raj said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Raj said...

It is my understanding that the upgrading of the railway tracks was a Sabah State Government initiative where the said upgrading works were undertaken by Suria Capital Bhd.(in which I believe the Sabah State Government is the single largest shareholder and the aforementioned public listed company is HQ-ed in KK)through a negotiated contract. As such, it also my perception that financing for the said upgrading works was guaranteed by the State Government with the concurrence of the Federal Ministry of Finance. Therefore, the Federal Government's association in the above mentioned upgrading works was limited to its assent to the State Government on providing the above mentioned guarantee for the said project funding. Please correct me if I am inaccurate in my aforesaid assertion. - Raj.

gram.kong said...

Raj,you are absolutely right.Sabah is under UMNO and under Federal control, indirectly a Federal decision.Crappy projects happened all over Malaysia irrespective of whether they are state or federal.

Raj said...

Exactly. And considering the two comments on your "Facebook" post of the same, I hope Sabahans, in general, are more discerning and judicious before being brusque in their wrath of the Federal Government only when maladministration, fallibilities and maladies happen in their cherished state.

gram.kong said...

Raj,

We called a spade, a spade and we are smarter " we run with the hare and hunt with the hounds".

For me Sabah Railway should have been closed down, the state is stupid to listen to Federal government urging the revival of the railway and being told to buy second hand coaches from KTMB, which is losing money like hell.

MAS, another cash guzzling monster also managed by discerning and judicious West Malaysians.

There are so many, the list would be infinite.

Raj said...

Well, well,well, the more I consider your piece, the hotter burns my umbrage.

gram.kong said...

Raj,

Very poetic.What's wrong with simple annoyance or offense.Shakespearean, only good in theatres.